Obese children, but not overweight children, had significantly elevated LF:HF and decreased HFnu compared with normal-weight children (p < 0.05), indicating cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction.
Cross-Sectional (n=36)
Is childhood obesity associated with cardiac autonomic dysfunction and metabolic abnormalities?
Childhood obesity is associated with cardiac autonomic dysfunction and metabolic abnormalities, which appear to be driven by the quantity of fat mass.
p-value: p=< 0.05
OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine cardiovascular autonomic (cANS) function and its potential relationships with leptin resistance, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and inflammation in a pediatric sample with varying levels of obesity. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Participants were normal-weight (NW; BMI 95th percentile, 6 male, 10 female) who had cANS function assessed via heart rate variability (HRV) methods during resting conditions. Standard time-domain and frequency-domain measures high-frequency normalized units (HFnu; measure of parasympathetic nervous system activity) and low frequency:high-frequency ratio (LF:HF; overall sympathovagal balance) of HRV were calculated. Fasting blood samples were drawn for measurement of glucose, insulin, lipids, 8-isoprostane, leptin, soluble leptin-receptor (sOB-R), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Results were reported as mean +/- standard error of the mean. RESULTS: OB had significantly elevated LF:HF and decreased HFnu when compared with NW (p < 0.05), but no differences between OW and NW were observed. Measures of HRV were significantly related to leptin, insulin resistance, 8-isoprostane, and CRP (p < 0.05), but these relationships were not significant after adjustment for fat mass. DISCUSSION: When compared with NW, OB but not OW children are characterized by cANS dysfunction and increased leptin, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and inflammation (CRP). The relationships between these factors seem to be dependent on quantity of fat mass and/or other factors associated with being obese.
Kaufman et al. (Tue,) conducted a cross-sectional in Childhood Obesity (n=36). Obesity vs. Normal-weight was evaluated on Cardiovascular autonomic function (LF:HF and HFnu) (p=< 0.05). Obese children, but not overweight children, had significantly elevated LF:HF and decreased HFnu compared with normal-weight children (p < 0.05), indicating cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction.